HortiWisePrivacyPolicy
Email: vomiv523@gmail.com
1. Introduction
This Privacy Policy explains how HortiWise (“we,” “our,” or “us”) handles information when you use our plant care companion application for iOS and Android (“App”). HortiWise is designed to help you track plants, receive care reminders, and get AI-assisted identification and health insights.
We are committed to protecting your privacy. This policy describes what data stays on your device, what is sent to third-party services, and what we do not collect on our own servers.
2. Our Privacy Principles
HortiWise is built with a local-first, no-backend approach:
- No proprietary servers: We do not operate backend servers to store or aggregate your garden data.
- No user accounts: We do not require registration, login, or a centralized user profile.
- Your garden data stays on your device: Plant profiles, journals, photos, and care plans are stored locally unless you explicitly trigger a feature that requires internet access.
- User-initiated AI only: Plant photos are sent for analysis only when you tap Identify or Health Check.
- Location for weather only: Location, postal code, or IP-based approximation is used solely to fetch weather forecasts and watering suggestions — not for background tracking or advertising targeting.
3. Information We Do NOT Collect on Our Servers
Because HortiWise has no backend infrastructure, we do not:
- Operate servers that store your plant photos, journals, or garden records
- Maintain a cloud backup or sync service for your garden data
- Collect your name, email address, phone number, or other personal identifiers (unless you voluntarily contact support)
- Collect or store payment card or banking information (purchases are handled entirely by Apple or Google)
- Track your precise home address in the background
4. Information Stored on Your Device
The following data is stored locally on your device:
- Plant profiles: Names, types, environment settings, care schedules, and watering history
- Garden journal entries: Notes, health check results, and optional journal photos
- Plant photos: Saved in your device’s local app storage (not on HortiWise servers)
- Location preferences: City, region, country, postal code, and approximate coordinates used for weather (cached locally for convenience)
- Care plans and task recommendations: Generated care schedules and feedback
- App settings: Notification preferences, unit settings (metric/imperial), onboarding status
- Subscription entitlement cache: A local record of your premium status (no payment details)
This data remains on your device until you delete it, uninstall the App, or reset your device.
5. AI Analysis and Photos
5.1 Local Photo Storage
Plant photos you capture or select are stored locally on your device. HortiWise does not upload photos to our own servers.
5.2 When Photos Are Sent to AI
Photos are transmitted only when you actively request AI features:
- Plant Identification: When you tap Identify
- Health Check: When you tap Health Check and submit a photo for analysis
In these cases, your photo is temporarily sent over a secure connection to Alibaba DashScope (Qwen VL models) for processing. Analysis results are returned to your device and stored locally.
Photos are not sent for identification or health analysis unless you tap the relevant action. This is also shown in the App: “Photos are sent for identification only when you tap Identify.”
5.3 What AI Processes
The AI analysis:
- Processes only the plant images you choose to submit
- Provides identification suggestions, health scores, and care recommendations
- Does not give DashScope or HortiWise ongoing access to your entire photo library
- Is performed through secure API calls; we do not permanently store your photos on HortiWise servers
Retention of data processed by DashScope is governed by Alibaba Cloud’s policies.
6. Location and Weather
HortiWise uses location-related information only to provide weather-based care suggestions:
- GPS coordinates (when you grant location permission)
- Postal code (when you enter it manually)
- IP-based approximate location (when no GPS or postal code is set, via weather providers)
This information is sent to WeatherAPI.com and/or QWeather (Hefeng) to retrieve forecasts. We do not use location for background tracking, advertising targeting, or building location profiles.
A summary of your location preference (city, region, approximate coordinates) may be cached locally on your device for faster weather updates.
7. Voice Features
HortiWise includes voice interaction for garden commands:
- On-device speech recognition: When available, speech-to-text runs on your device using Apple’s or Google’s speech recognition services.
- Cloud AI routing (when enabled): If you use voice commands that require AI interpretation, your transcribed text (not raw audio stored by us) and relevant garden context (such as plant names) may be sent to DashScope to determine your intent.
We do not operate servers to store your voice recordings.
8. Third-Party SDKs and Services
HortiWise integrates third-party services. These are not HortiWise-owned servers, but they may process certain data according to their own privacy policies:
| Service | Purpose | Data Involved |
|---|---|---|
| Alibaba DashScope | Plant identification, health check, care advice, garden planning, voice intent | Photos (user-initiated), text prompts, transcribed voice, plant names |
| WeatherAPI.com | Weather forecasts | Coordinates, postal code, or IP |
| QWeather (Hefeng) | Weather forecasts | Coordinates, postal code, or location query |
| Firebase Analytics | Product analytics (e.g., feature usage, onboarding, purchases) | App events, device/app identifiers |
| Firebase Crashlytics | Crash and error reporting | Crash logs, device state |
| Firebase Remote Config | Remote feature configuration | App instance identifiers |
| Google AdMob | Rewarded and app-open ads for free users | Advertising identifiers, ad interaction data |
| Apple App Store / Google Play | In-app subscriptions and purchases | Purchase receipts (handled by Apple/Google) |
| Meta (optional) | Facebook sharing via system share sheet | Only when you choose to share content to Facebook |
Links to third-party privacy policies:
9. Advertising
Free users may see advertisements served by Google AdMob, including rewarded video ads and app-open ads. AdMob may use device advertising identifiers and interaction data to serve and measure ads, in accordance with Google’s policies.
On iOS, HortiWise may participate in Apple’s SKAdNetwork for ad attribution. You can limit ad tracking through your device settings (e.g., “Limit Ad Tracking” on iOS or advertising settings on Android).
10. Analytics and Crash Reporting
We use Firebase Analytics to understand how features are used and improve the App. Events may include, for example:
- Onboarding completion
- Paywall views and purchase events
- Plant identification and health check usage
- Home screen interactions
We use Firebase Crashlytics to collect crash reports and fatal errors so we can fix stability issues. Crash reports may include device model, OS version, and stack traces.
These analytics are processed by Google Firebase, not stored on HortiWise servers. You can learn more at Firebase Privacy.
11. Permissions
The App may request the following permissions:
| Permission | Why We Ask |
|---|---|
| Camera | Capture plant photos for identification, health checks, and journals |
| Photo Library | Select existing plant photos |
| Location (while in use) | Fetch local weather for watering and care suggestions |
| Microphone | Voice commands on the voice assistant screen |
| Speech Recognition | Convert speech to text on your device |
| Notifications | Local care reminders and task alerts |
Permission descriptions shown in the App match the use cases above.
12. Children’s Privacy
HortiWise is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us information, please contact us at vomiv523@gmail.com.
13. Data Retention
13.1 Local Data
Your garden data remains on your device until you:
- Delete individual plants or journal entries
- Uninstall the App
- Reset or replace your device
13.2 Third-Party Processing
- DashScope: Processes photos and text temporarily for AI features; retention is subject to Alibaba Cloud’s policies.
- Weather providers: Process location queries to return forecasts; we do not control their retention periods.
- Firebase / AdMob: Retain analytics, crash, and ad data per Google’s policies.
We do not maintain long-term copies of your garden content on HortiWise servers.
14. Your Rights and Choices
Depending on your region, you may have rights regarding your personal information. Because HortiWise stores most data locally:
- Access and deletion: You can view and delete plants, journals, and photos within the App, or remove all App data by uninstalling.
- Location: You can deny location permission and enter a postal code instead, or clear location settings in the App.
- AI features: You control when photos are sent by choosing whether to tap Identify or Health Check.
- Analytics and ads: You may limit ad tracking and analytics through your device or platform settings.
- Contact us: For privacy requests, email vomiv523@gmail.com.
If you are in the European Economic Area or California, you may have additional rights under GDPR or CCPA. Contact us and we will respond within a reasonable time.
15. International Data Transfers
When you use AI or weather features, your data may be processed in countries other than your own. DashScope servers may be located in jurisdictions such as China, Singapore, or the United States. We use secure transmission (HTTPS) for all network requests.
16. Security
HortiWise implements:
- Local storage for garden data and photos
- Secure HTTPS communication with third-party APIs
- API keys stored in secure device storage, not hard-coded in the App binary
Your data security also depends on your device settings (passcode, biometrics, OS updates, and backup practices).
17. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be posted on this page. Continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
18. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at:
Email: vomiv523@gmail.com
Your privacy is our priority. HortiWise keeps your garden on your device, uses location only for weather, and sends photos to AI only when you ask.